Friday Ramble - Fragile

This week's word comes to us from Old French, thence from the Latin fragilis or frangere meaning to break. Tucked somewhere in there is the Indo-European bhreg and the Gothic brikan, both meaning to shatter. In modern parlance, the word means easily broken, damaged, delicate, brittle, frail, vulnerable, flimsy, lacking body, strength or substance.

Fragile things are assumed to be anything except robust or bright, and not vibrant by any means, but it isn't necessarily so. Fragile, bright, robust, vibrant and strong are not mutually exclusive, and they abide harmoniously together. Could anything be more fragile and at the same time, more vibrant and brimming with life than humans and the earth we share, the journey we are on together?

This is a good week for musing about the word fragile in a Friday ramble. Within a few days of learning that my soulmate was cancer free, I learned that I too have cancer, and I will undergo surgery this coming Wednesday, the procedure to be followed by a month or two of radiation and some form of long term chemotherapy. I considered not saying anything here at all (loathed the idea of seeing the words in print or on a computer screen) but in the end, I decided to to spill the beans and try to do it without wailing, whining or being a utter wimp. It goes without saying that I have written this post over and over again and am still not happy with it.  It is difficult to write or talk of such matters without going into panic mode.

There is discomfort ahead, but there is comfort in knowing that no matter how unpleasant the next few weeks are, I can trounce this thing, and by golly, I am going to do just that.  I am fortunate in having a wonderful oncologist, and the support of family, colleagues, and friends both near and far. Although I feel fragile, frayed and somewhat tattered at the moment, that will pass, and I have crafted a mantra to get me through rough moments: I am stronger than this, and this is making me stronger. This weekend, Himself and Spencer and I will replenish our inner directives in the Lanark woods and on the shores of our favorite lake. There is comfort in wild places, and perhaps there will be herons.

Most of next week's blog posts will be written in advance, but I will be back as soon as I can, and out among the trees too.  I won't be able to carry a camera and big camera bag for a while, but I always knew that my DVDs of archived photos would come in handy some day. Well, here it is.